Social media has fuelled the rise of citizen journalism and the media now needs to engage readers and contributors, rather than simply serving them content, according to a new white paper from social media management agency, eModeration.
The paper, ‘A Guide to Managing Social Media for News Sites and Media Organisations’, gives advice on creating guidelines for journalists and contributors, discusses the legal issues of accepting reader contributions, and provides guidance on creating an engaging reader community.
Written by eModeration’s CEO, Tamara Littleton, and free to download from www.emoderation.com, the white paper includes advice to news organisations on the moderation of user contributions and on the need for stringent social media guidelines for journalists who may want to respond to reader comments.
Tamara Littleton, CEO, eModeration, says: “Social media has taken news reporting back into the hands of the people. Journalists use social media to source stories and consumers expect to express their views on reporting. There’s also been a rise in contributory blogs such as the Guardian’s Comment Is Free, which encourages reader contribution and debate. With proper management, this increased engagement can be of tremendous benefit to reader and journalist alike.”
The white paper is the latest in the series of white papers from eModeration, available from its website here.
